Dry Firing Your Flintlock?

[Black Hand]

It smacked the frizzen and stopped, leaving the frizzen just partially opened.

Sounds like your frizzen rebounded. It happens at times...

That said, your description lacks sufficient information to make an accurate determination.

 

[Artificer]

Does the front edge of your wooden flint stick out from the top jaw at least as far as a normal flint you use? If not, your wood flint may be/probably is too short.

Also, I don't know for certain how much the angle and shape of the front of the wood flint has to be for the ultimate best use. What I have always done is cut the angle at about 45 degrees and rounded the sharp edge so it would not chip/split. This always worked well for me.

Gus

 

[Don Steele]

I'll work on those points Gus. Thank you for the response.
Dry firing without moving the cock is not nearly as effective as a training aid.
If I can't get a wood flint to work, I'll just use my retired flints.

 

[Tom Compton]

Buy a package of wood clothes pins- the kind with a coil spring. Disassemble and cut to length. Think I got 50 for $2 but can't remember where.

 

[MSW]

if you have a proper hardware store (with a tin pressed ceiling and little wooden boxes full of washers and stuff, and salespeople who know what they're doing) you can get clothes pins at the hardware store.

if all you have is a 'big box' hardware store, try the grocery store.

good luck with your project!

 

[valen]

I dry fire mine all the time at reenactments when explaining to the public how a lock works. I let the kids get real close to watch for the sparks. I've probably done this a dozen or my times a weekend for 10+ years of reenacting and seen no adverse effects on the gun.

 

[azmntman]

.......adverse effects usually show up for the first time when a large bull or buck is grazing unknowingly near 35 yards............

 

[Don Steele]

Thanks..!!
A piece of clothespin is working just fine. :hatsoff:

 

[Tom Compton]

Good deal. Shoot well.
TC

 

[Onojutta]

.......adverse effects usually show up for the first time when a large bull or buck is grazing unknowingly near 35 yards............

:rotf: So true!

 

[MSW]

"hunting" vs. "going to the grocery store"

 

[Rick Boylan]

"hunting" vs. "going to the grocery store"

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[Commodore Swab]

Important

No damage is done dry firing a flintlock, at least no more than normal firing. If you have a lower quality piece there can be associated wear. Having said that like so many others . . .

Make sure the frizzen is closed. If it is not there can be a lack of friction to slow the cock before hitting the stops whether they are the lock plate, tumbler, or lock face. This can cause damage, in extreme cases the stops can be broken or the cock can break.

 

[rr11]

.......adverse effects usually show up for the first time when a large bull or buck is grazing unknowingly near 35 yards............

I thought that only happened to me?

 

[Billnpatti]

Does your rifle have double triggers? If so, there is no need to dry fire it. Just set the rear trigger and then pull the front trigger to "fire" your rifle. The trigger pull will be the same as if you had the gun cocked. It does absolutely no harm to your gun to do this. Just set your trigger, pick a target and squeeze your trigger. It's a great way to practice. I have spent many hours sitting in my home office and sighting out the window at such things as the flag on a neighbor's mail box. It's a good thing that my rifles are not loaded or all of the mailboxes on my street would be shot to pieces by now and nary a flint has touched frizzen. :grin:

 

[Zonie]

IMO, Billnpatti's comment about setting the rear trigger and pulling the front trigger has one flaw.

It doesn't mention the position of the hammer or cock while doing this.

The hammer or cock MUST be in the fired (down) position.

If the hammer is set at "half cock", cocking and releasing the set trigger can break either the half cock notch in the tumbler or break the nose off of the sear.

As neither of these possibilities are good, always do this "dry firing" with the hammer/cock down.

 

[Billnpatti]

Spot on, Zonie. I should have posted that. Thanks for the help. :hatsoff:

 

[Artificer]

Spot on, Zonie. I should have posted that. Thanks for the help. :hatsoff:

With sincere respect, I have to at least partially disagree. Yes, one can dry fire with just the set triggers and the frizzen and cock forward, but I would not do it that way only.

There is some movement of the rifle or gun when the flint or dummy flint in the cock strikes the frizzen and drives it forward and you can't get the full benefit of dry firing without that. So dry fire with only the set trigger some, but don't forget to add at least some dry fire shots with a flint or dummy flint and the cock striking the frizzen. Of course the bigger the lock is in your rifle/gun, the more important this is.

Gus

 

[Zonie]

You are right. The falling cock and rebounding frizzen do effect the point of aim when the gun is fired. I don't think many will notice the shift in the imaginary ball hitting the imaginary target though.

I think the idea of replacing the flint with wood or protecting the frizzen with something to allow dry firing with a fully cocked lock has been mentioned in this topic.

The subject Billnpatti and I was talking about is dry firing using only the double set triggers.

 

[Artificer]

Jim,

I know you were discussing dry firing with the set triggers only and you made an excellent point about ensuring the cock and frizzen is forward. :thumbsup:

However and while this type of dry firing is better than no dry firing practice at all to improve one's marksmanship, it is not as good as dry firing with the lock actually working - whether using a wood flint or real flint.

Now smaller civilian locks will not disturb the point of aim as much as larger "Trade Gun" or Military Locks, but they will still disturb the point of aim some - compared to dry firing without the lock working.

Dry firing will improve marksmanship the best when a small target is placed to aim at and the lock actually functions and everything is as close to firing as possible without a round actually being fired. I first learned that in the one week "Snapping In" session in Marine Boot Camp where we spent an entire week getting into the different shooting positions and dry firing. Only a few years later when I first was assigned to THE Marine Corps Rifle Team as an Armorer, the shooters used to say that one needs to dry fire at least 50 times in practice (and in each position while wearing all the same gear as when actually shooting) for each actual live round fired during a match.

Serious and winning NSSA shooters dry fired their Civil War period guns by actually putting on at least their repro shirts and jackets/coats to dry fire and with the locks working, for the same reasons. Serious and winning International Muzzle Loading Competitors did the same thing with their guns and equipment.

I may be one of only a small percentage of hunters who do it, but I dry fired with whatever ML or modern gun and while wearing my hunting gear, before I went hunting each time.

Gus